Healthy Living: The Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen

There’s been a lot of hype in the news the past two years over the “Clean 15” and the “Dirty Dozen.”

The Environmental Working Group (an organization of scientists, researchers and policymakers), has studied which fruits and vegetables are grown exposed to toxins such as pesticides.

They put together two lists, “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Clean 15,” to help consumers know when they should buy organic and when it is unnecessary. These lists were compiled using data from the United States Department of Agriculture on the amount of pesticide residue found in non-organic fruits and vegetables after they had been washed.

The Clean 15 are a list of fruits and vegetables that, when conventionally grown, bore little to no traces of pesticides, and is safe to consume in non-organic form. This list includes:

avocados

sweet corn

pineapples

mango

sweet peas

asparagus

kiwi fruit

cabbage

eggplant

cantaloupe

watermelon

grapefruit

sweet potatoes

sweet onions

onions

The Dirty Dozen tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67. For produce on the “dirty” list, experts recommend that you buy organic produce, which should be pesticide free. The Dirty Dozen are:

celery

peaches

strawberries

apples

domestic blueberries

nectarines

sweet bell peppers

spinach, kale and collard greens

cherries

potatoes

imported grapes

lettuce

Now that you know, it’ll help you make the choice between organic or non-organic when you’re doing your family’s grocery shopping.